Macro N Cheese

Public banking is a hot topic in progressive circles. We at Macro n Cheese support it as long as it serves the public purpose, but not all visions of public banking are equal. Luckily, we have Nathan Tankus to help us navigate the shoals. In this second episode of a three-part series, Nathan begins by addressing the overall question of banks as public institutions. All banks, whether private, public, or democratic cooperatives, are given government charters and must abide by regulations. There may be similarities in the structure of governance, but when it comes to incentives, they are very different creatures. Nathan compares the different kinds of banks, including China’s state-owned banking system and looks at possibilities for regulations and services. Steve brings up proposals for infrastructure banks and the concept of financing public spending through a network of public banks. Some of these ideas don’t necessarily jibe with the MMT perspective; Nathan, Raul Carrillo and Andres Bernal recently wrote